The Knights Himura

#27: Last Dinosaur

Tsukiko felt an odd connection with the strange woman Haruka had introduced to her. She didn't know why, but she felt drawn to the stranger. She sought answers to questions she hadn't thought up yet.

Tsuki stood on the top step, staring at the front door, as if she was about to enter some deep, dark cave. She didn't feel afraid, but she did hesitate at first, if only for a second.

"Hey, it's me!" Tsuki pounded on the door.

There was no response, only silence, at first. Eventually, she heard rapid footsteps and the sound of someone fiddling with the lock.

"Why're you here?" Shizuka peered through a crack in the door.

"Just to hang out." Tsuki shrugged

"...Hang out?" Shizuka closed the door again and opened the rest of the locks before swinging it open.

Tsukiko looked into the open doorway, but there was no one in sight. Shizuka had already reached her regular room at the end of the hallway.

Tsuki ran down the hallway and reached Shizuka's room. "How'd you get here so fast?"

"Sit down, and maybe I'll tell you." Shizuka had her back turned to her.

Tsuki sat down behind Shizuka who was idly typing away at her keyboard.

"So, how'd you do it?" Tsuki asked.

"I'm just that good." Shizuka shrugged.

"Practice?" Tsuki suggested.

"Ehh, probably? I don't really believe it myself." Shizuka looked behind her. "What did you wanna talk about?"

"Uhh... I wouldn't know where to start." Tsuki admitted.

"Nothing?" Shizuka looked back at the PC monitor.

"I just wanted to give you some company, like I'd promised." Tsuki scratched her head.

"Thanks, Tsuki." Shizuka lowered her head.

"Huh?"

"Thanks for remembering a loser like me." Shizuka grinned.

"I don't think you're a loser, Shizuka." Tsuki shook her head.

"Look around, kid." Shizuka raised an arm up.

Tsukiko looked around the room. The rest of the house was hidden, but the room they shared gave her an idea of what the rest of the place looked like.

There were dirty clothes and empty bottles littering the carpeted floor. A bin was filled to the absolute top with crushed chip bags and food cartons. Dusty cardboard boxes were stacked up in one corner.

"Eventually, this place'll look great. For now, let's just hang out." Tsuki nodded.

Shizuka pulled a half empty bottle of whisky from next to her PC tower. She took a swig out of the bottle before handing it to Tsukiko.

"Yep, that's good stuff." Shizuka groaned.

"Runs in the family, don't it?" Tsukiko drank.

"Pretty girls like you shouldn't drink too much." Shizuka muttered.

She still stared at her computer screen. Her eyes would occasionally glance over, but she wouldn't move.

"Not gonna look me in the eye?" Tsuki slid herself across the floor to sit next to her aunt.

"What're you doing?"

"If you're not gonna look at me, I might as well sit with you, shouldn't I?" Tsuki smiled.